As part of our continuing efforts to prepare seniors for college and beyond, Brook Hill partnered recently with Kelly Community Federal Credit Union to sponsor a “Reality Fair” for our Brook Hill seniors, which is a financial literacy program designed to familiarize students with personal money management skills. Seniors first met with Mrs. Michelle Small, Chief Executive Officer for the Kelly Community Federal Credit Union, and learned about ways to earn, save, and spend money wisely. Through our Senior Seminar class Mrs. Small provided direct instruction and interactive activities designed to simulate the “reality” of personal and family finance including budgeting tools and the importance of establishing and keeping a good credit score. The Reality Fair  culminated with a hands on paper and pencil walk through for students, beginning with them being given an average starting salary for their chosen career and then having them make choices for housing, auto, utilities, insurance, food, etc. When all of their figures were down on paper students sat with Credit Counselors to see if their pay checks were going to cover their chosen lifestyles. The desired result of the Reality Fair is to give our young adults the tools they need to enter into the workforce after college—to find out more about how their career and lifestyle choices are effected by economic realities.

Two very lucky students received gift cards from Mrs. Michelle Small, CEO of the Kelly Community Credit Union during a ‘preparation’ presentation for “The Reality Fair”. At the end of the presentation students turned in their note taking sheets and the first correctly completed sheet drawn  in each class was awarded the surprise.